I have read in these posts somewhere, that switching to a synthetic oil after using dino oil for Over a certain amount of miles can cause more problems that it is worth. ie leaky seals etc. I have 13,500 miles on my 2003 wideglide, and have always used HD 20-50 in the crank. Formula + in the primary and tranny. Would I have problems if I switched to Synthetic? What do ya think? [sm=biker.gif]

 

You have a "new" bike with only 13,500 miles on a 4 year old. It won't hurt to switch to the synthetic.

The real question is, "Why do you want to start running the synthetic?"

 

Wouldn't hurt a thing!

 

Im not sure if I want to switch or not. I have read a lot of posts that swear by the synthetic stuff because of the cooling and the lengthening of the engine life. I like to keep my fluids changed at regular intervals so Im sure my bike is staying well lubricated. Im just trying to decide if its worth changing or not. The summers here are usually in the 90's to 100's. I do a lot of in town riding. I do get out on the road every once in awhile, but with my schedule, not as much as I would like. Do you think it would be worth the change? Or just stay with whats been working. [sm=confused06.gif]

 

If you are a guy who will change synthetic every 2500 to 3000 miles don't waste your money. A big benefit of using synthetic is extended change interval. Why pay 2 to 4 times as much for a better oil and waste the benefit. Synthetic will not be BAD for your engine.

 

The number one benefit to synthetic oil is reduced friction in your engine which means cooler temperatures and less wear on internal engine parts due to excessive heat and friction. Synthetic oils lubricate better than their mineral based counterparts because they are made from better base stock oils. These tend to last longer as well and some people extend oil change intervals without noticeable wear to their engine. However, the number one benefit is increased lubricity and reduced wear. At 13-14k miles your engine is broken in fully and you could easily switch to synthetics. If you city ride in 100*F temps it would be advisable.

 

With the type of riding you are talking, and the temps associated with it, I'd probably bite the bullet and switch to synthetic. All it takes is getting stuck in traffic once on a hot day to cook most dino oils, while most synthetics would not be significantly hurt. One thing you might do is have a sample of the present oil analyzed at the next oil change. If the results aren't what you expect, then switch.

 

I too have been thinking about switching to mobile 1 v-twin. The main reason is the 15degree avg drop in temperature people seem to get.
What about top end noise? does it make it noisier or quiet it down. I've heard people say both. As far as service intervals it's still an air cooled motor and I will probably change it at the regular intervals.
Another thing is every H-D shop I go by on the road has 20-50 H-D oil . I had to check 5 different places here in Iowa to find someone who carried mobile 1 v-twin. On a road trip if I need a quart of oil I'll probably have a hard time finding it.
Still haven't made up my mind yet

Bobo

 

The Vtwin quieted my TC88 considerably...in fact when it's really warmed up after 30-40 miles of riding and you stop at a light....the engine sounds tight......no strange off sounding noises at all just tight....I'm really sold on it. Go to Autozone and get 3 quarts and give it a try.

What do you have to lose except $20?

 

I have tried Syn 3 and Moble 1 V twin in my '06 Ultra. Won't bore you with all the details but here is what I observed:
1 - On my stock bike, Ifound no significant difference in the engine temps between syn and standard HD 360 Oil
2 - My bike makes less noise with the HD 360 than syn oils
3 - Syn oil seems to lube the engine much better

About #3, "Syn oil seems to lube the engine much better." Ya, I've read all kinds of reports from oil companies about how their oil is better than others, ball-ware tests, this test, that test, etc. etc. I figure it is all marketing BS.

But here is what I have observed. When using HD 360 and I change the oil & filter after 2,500 to 3000 miles, the drain plug magnet is covered with tiny metal particals - just like the other 5 HD's I have owned and ran on dino oil. But when I use the Syn oil, the drain plug magnet only has a slight gray film on it.

I do not claim to know anything about mechanics, I've just been 'cook booking'the routine maintenance on my bikes/cars/trucks for the past 40 + years. Also, I'm not pushingsyn oils, or any brand of syn oil.

Mytotally un-scientific observation leads me to believe that there is really something tothe claims that syn oils lube better because I can think ofno other reason that the drain magnet would stop catchingsignificant metal particals with syn oil, other than that engine has less "wear and tear" with the syn.

In any case, I plan to run syn oil in my engine and just ignore the extra noise.

JMHO